Municipal​/Public Law Attorney Associate - Advisory​/Transactional​/Counsel

Municipal Associate

Direct Counsel is seeking a Municipal Associate with 2–4 years of experience to join an expanding Public Law practice in San Diego, California. This is an excellent opportunity for an attorney with experience in municipal or public agency law to advise cities, counties, special districts, and other public entities on a broad range of transactional, regulatory, and advisory matters.

San Diego, California

• Advise cities, counties, special districts, and other public agencies on municipal and public law matters.
• Review, draft, and negotiate public agency and municipal contracts.
• Conduct legal research and prepare legal memoranda.
• Assist with public contracting and procurement matters.
• Advise clients regarding regulatory compliance and other public agency requirements.
• Support transactional and advisory matters for public agency clients.
• Communicate directly with public officials, agency staff, clients, and colleagues.
• Manage assigned matters independently while collaborating with experienced public law attorneys.

• 2–4 years of relevant legal experience.
• Active membership in good standing with the California State Bar.
• Experience with municipal law and/or public agency representation.
• Excellent legal research, writing, drafting, and analytical skills.
• Ability to manage matters independently and interface directly with public officials and staff.
• Strong client-service and communication skills.
• Self-motivated with a strong work ethic and collaborative mindset.

• Representation of cities, counties, special districts, or other California public agencies.
• Municipal and public agency contracts.
• Public contracting and procurement.
• Regulatory compliance.
• Transactional and general advisory matters involving government entities.

• Base Salary: $150,000–$175,000, depending on experience and qualifications.
• Annual performance-based bonuses.
• Discretionary and billable-hours bonus opportunities.
• Reasonable billable-hours requirement.
• Mainly remote work arrangement for California-based attorneys.
• Competitive health insurance benefits.
• 401(k) with partial employer match.
• Strong mentorship and professional development opportunities.

This position offers the opportunity to build a sophisticated municipal and public law practice while working directly with public agencies and government decision-makers. Attorneys receive meaningful responsibility, direct client interaction, reasonable billable expectations, and strong mentorship with opportunities for long-term professional growth.

Direct Counsel is committed to connecting exceptional legal talent with premier legal employers and fostering inclusive hiring practices.